HOF Awards & Forum 2020 -- Day 3: Re-thinking global supply chains
Day 3 of the online HOF Awards & Forum was to feature an in-depth panel discussion on the way the Covid-19 pandemic could spark profound changes to global supply chain patterns in ways that could benefit Central & Eastern Europe. But before companies can decide upon their strategies for the future, they will need to survive the economic shock of lock down, so 108 Agency's CFO Robert Sgariboldi began the proceedings with a presentation on current industrial market conditions and on the V-shaped recession he predicted. He pointed out that unemployment is sure to rise while industrial production plummets, but predicted that the recession should at least be short in nature, rather than dragging on for years.
He was then joined by Marek Dobrzycki, Managing Director (Panattoni), and Bert Hesselink, Group Business Development Director (CTP) in a discussion that considered the possibility of a second wave of the Covid-19 infection and how this could lead to a W-shaped recession. The group held out optimism, however, that governments around Europe would likely have a better idea than they did the first time around about the best ways to deal with the situation.
In the meantime, producers of all manner of goods and equipment will have to decide whether they need to choose new, more reliable locations to base their supply chains from. Excessive dependence on Asia does not appear to be the best way forward, but it's unclear just how much production capacity the world's biggest corporations are likely to shift back to the relatively expensive West. On a positive note, they agreed that CEE's industrial sector is well-placed to withstand tougher times, since the recession hit at a time when there's very little vacancy on the market. In fact, speakers confirmed that the biggest beneficiaries of the crisis, the online retail specialists, have been lining up to occupy whatever space is still available.
The panel discussion was followed by the main event: the presentation of the HOF Awards, which were being handed out for the Teams & Leaders, and the Transactions group categories. The agency categories came first, with the Best CEE/SEE Office Real Estate Agency prize going to CBRE for its team's work and successes across the region during 2019. Cushman & Wakefield then scored its own victory in the Best CEE/SEE Retail Real Estate Agency prize. Up next was the Best CEE/SEE Warehouse Real Estate Agency award, which was won by 108 Agency. The last of these prizes was won by CBS International, as it was awarded the Best Local Real Estate Agency prize.
The HOF Awards' only individual prize is given out for the Best Leadership Professional, and 2020's winner went to Alexandra Tomášková, Executive Vice President Operations Hungary & Czech Republic at Skanska Commercial Development Europe. It was a return performance for Tomášková, who had already picked up several prizes for her company in the first two days of the event, and she dedicated the award to her entire team.
Mint Investments then made an appearance on the virtual Awards stage in order to accept their first prize of the year, which was for Best Asset Manager. This left two transactions to be decided. The first, Best Land Transaction, was claimed by Panattoni for the deal that made Panattoni Park Košice Airport possible. Finally, the hotly-contested Best Commercial Investment Property Transaction prize was awarded to CTP Parks – Deka Immobilien / CTP Invest, an enormous, benchmark setting transaction.
Day 4 of the HOF Awards & Forum 2020 begins on Friday, May 29, at 10:30, with a panel discussion on how the current crisis is affecting the region's residential markets, beginning with a short presentation by Petr Hana of Deloitte. In what will serve as the finale, the last 9 prizes of the HOF Awards 2020 will be presented from 11:30 a.m., including the Grand Prix, which determines the project that's been singled out from all others as the Best of the Best.
